


Scared?

by TrashQueenTM



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst and Drama, Drama & Romance, F/M, Family Drama, Good Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter - Freeform, Hogwarts, M/M, Magic, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-14 17:41:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28924503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrashQueenTM/pseuds/TrashQueenTM
Summary: Draco Malfoy's story is not what it seems. With the help of Ravenclaw, Estella Pillings, he goes against his family's wishes and escapes a fate worse than death.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Original Female Character(s), Hufflepuff Students/Slytherin Students
Kudos: 1





	Scared?

The crowded station bustled with activity. Train whistles, stomping feet, and people calling to one another. But, you could hear a stout woman with ginger hair above everything else yelling;  
"Platform 9 and three quarters this way everyone!" she pushes a small ginger-haired boy ahead, "Come along now, Ronald."  
“Mum!” He shouts, exasperated.  
“Oh, and where is Estella?! Estella-”  
“With us, Mum. Your forgotten sons.”  
She spins on her heel and looks back at two twin boys with matching red hair. One with a small, white-haired girl on his shoulders. The girl giggles and waves at her. The woman starts to shout at them as they near the pillar that hides their world when a small, black-haired boy shuffles up to her.  
“Uhm, excuse ma’am, did you say ‘Platform 9 ¾’?” He asks, timidly.  
She bends at the waist to see him better and says, “Yes, dear. Are you headed there as well?” He nods and Estella gets herself down from the boy’s shoulders. “I see, it’s Ronald and Estella’s first year as well.”  
She gestures to them behind her. They both wave to the boy, Ron a bit shyly. Estella notices a white scar under the boy’s bangs and tape on his glasses. She wants to ask him about them, but Molly said asking too many questions was rude.  
One of the twins leans down and whispers to her, “Let’s head in.”  
She nods and they get ready to go through the pillar. The boys yell at their mother for mixing their names up, even though she had them correct in the first place. Fred and George were always tricksters, so their antics didn't surprise her anymore. After the boys go through, Estella waves at Ron one last time and runs through.  
Somehow the hidden platform was even more bustling than the muggles’. The Hogwarts Express stood in all her glory, just as she imagined. Estella’s trolley shakes as her owl tries stretching in her cage. She reassures him that they are almost to the train and continues on. She sees Harry and Ron once more on the platform before waving to them and boarding.

Estella picks an empty compartment and draws the curtains to allow her owl to come out of his cage and stretch for a bit. About five minutes into the journey, the doors slam open and close almost simultaneously. A boy is standing there holding a very fat tortoiseshell cat under the arms. She stares at him, a piece of cheese still held out as an offering to her feathered friend.  
“Is it alright if I sit with you?” The boy asks, exasperated. His accent is stronger than her own, but different.  
“You’re from the States?- I- I mean, yes, of course, the whole cart is free. Besides me anyway…”  
The tubby cat wriggles away from him, landing with a thud on the floor. “Well, yes I am from the States, my name’s Will Hillings. And this gremlin is Mully.”  
“I'm Estella Pillings. And this enchanting boy is Havisham,” She says as Will plops down across from her and Havisham snaps up the slice of cheese at last.  
“Oh, so you’re English-English, huh?” Estella just stares at him for a moment before he starts laughing. “I’m just kidding with you, Estella. I should probably test run my jokes before actually telling them.”  
“In your defense, 'Estella' and ‘Havisham’ are very English names, I suppose.” They smile at each other.

After the sweets trolley passed about halfway through their journey, Estella was about a third of the way through her life story. Will had spun his tale as well of course, but he was much more interested in Estella’s story than his own. He had told her about how he moved to Britain right before his eleventh birthday and how Hogwarts sent him a letter just as well. His parents worked as photographers and journalists in the muggle world. His father gave up a career as an Auror, or whatever the name for Aurors is in the states, to be with his mother.  
She explained that her parents were both Aurors and were always away on jobs. Because of this arrangement, she mostly lived with the Weasleys. The confusion of seeing a white-haired girl with a family of eight fiery redheads was always funny to her.  
“Ginny is a couple of years younger than us, the rest of the boys have either been through or are currently attending Hogwarts. They've all been in Gryffindor.”  
“All of them?” she nods, “Wow, I’m still not fully acquainted with Hogwarts’ houses yet. Still a bit hung up on Ilvermorny houses.”  
“I could help you.”  
“Great! So, I don't know… the names.”  
They both bust out into a giggle fit at his blunt response. “Well, there’s Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin.”  
“Aw, Hufflepuff sounds so cute!”  
“Oh, yeah, I’ve heard the sorting hat takes your opinions of the houses into consideration. I read it somewhere, then again, I’ve read a lot of things in a lot of places…”  
“The sorting hat?” they burst into fits again before Estella goes into her descriptions of the Hogwarts houses and how it all works.

Dreams never capture the true beauty of the places you’ve never been. Fred and George had told her of the twinkling boats that take you across the lake to the looming castle. They described the event in great detail after many minutes of Estella’s prying.  
Despite their efforts to please the gremlin tugging on their sleeves, they hadn't even come close to the magic of the real thing. The water under their boats matched the night sky. Stars reflected off the murky lake. The castle lights outshone them though through their sheer brilliance. On an amalgamation of cliffs fusing to make a large plateau was the structure itself.  
It was grand, a massive stone castle with several spires and a stone staircase leading from the docks to the front entryway. As their boat stopped, Estella and Will disembarked, bouncing their way up the stairs. They were too giddy to even listen to any of the other first year’s shouts of admiration or cries of disbelief.  
“This is the start of our whole life, Will!” she squeals as they race to the grand double doors.  
Once inside the great hall, every first year’s eyes are locked on to a woman standing at the base of the staircase. She’s older with a gray, neatly-placed bun on top of her head. Her face is pinched and stern with thin glasses slipping down her slender nose.  
“That's Professor McGonagall!” Estella whispers to Will.  
“Welcome to Hogwarts,” she says. “The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common room.  
‘The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.  
‘The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarted yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting.” Her eyes linger for a moment on a scruffy-looking boy’s cloak, which was fastened under his left ear.  
“I will return when we are ready for you,” says Professor McGonagall. “Please wait quietly.”  
Will and Estella turn to each other and jump up and down excitedly. They start jabbering to one another until she hears her name being called from behind them. She turns and sees Ron coming towards them with the boy from the platform and a girl she had never seen before.  
“Estella! Hey, we all lost you when we got onto the platform, what happened?” Ron asks when he reaches them.  
She suddenly remembers running ahead of everyone from sheer elation. “Oh, goodness. Yes, I’m sorry Ron. I just got so excited and-”  
“It’s alright, Stell,” he says waving her off. “I wanted to introduce you to Harry and… Hermione.”  
Harry waves and Hermione steps forward, “A pleasure to meet you, Estella. I'm Hermione Granger.” she puts her hand out and she takes it.  
“Estella Pillings. I live with Ron most of the time. And this is Will Hillings, I met him on the train.” Ron eyes Will wearily. “I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself on the platform, Harry…”  
“Potter.”  
“Ah, well-” something clicks in her head. “Oh, Potter. My parents know your parents, I think I remember them saying-” her brain catches up with itself as she realizes what her parents had said about the Potters. “Oh- oh my god, I’m so sorry. My brain just moves through thoughts so fast sometimes-”  
“Move along now,” says a sharp voice. “The Sorting Ceremony’s about to start.” Professor McGonagall had returned.  
“So sorry…” Estella whispers before walking into the great hall.  
The hall has four, long banquet tables with an exuberant amount of food at each. At the end of each table is a flag representing each house. She gazes up at the ceilings which are enchanted to look just like the night sky, each star in their position. The opposite end holds a table perpendicular to the rest, seating the other professors. A chair in front of them holds the famous sorting hat, singing its song:  
"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,  
But don't judge on what you see,  
I'll eat myself if you can find  
A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,  
Your top hats sleek and tall,  
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat  
And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head  
The Sorting Hat can't see,  
So try me on and I will tell you  
Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,  
Where dwell the brave at heart,  
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry  
Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,  
Where they are just and loyal,  
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true  
And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,  
if you've a ready mind,  
Where those of wit and learning,  
Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin  
You'll make your real friends,  
Those cunning folks use any means  
To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!  
And don't get in a flap!  
You're in safe hands (though I have none)  
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"  
McGonagall speaks up after the hat concludes the song. “When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted,” she says, “Hannah Abbot!”

After finally being called up, Estella takes her place in the chair. She takes a deep breath as the professor places the hat on her white curls. The hat shudders as it animates itself. It grumbles about a fast mind and a quick wit, along with softness. It grunts and groans for a moment before screaming out;  
“Ravenclaw!”  
The table draped in blue and silver erupts in applause. Estella waves, ecstatic, to Ron at the Gryffindor table and Will at the Hufflepuff table. She takes her seat and sighs in contentment. Ravenclaw was her father’s house. If she could get a hold of him, he would be so proud of her. 

This would be the start of something grand.


End file.
